Schools pack encourages pupils to stay well

Winter illnesses are a common occurrence but pupils across the country are being shown how to stay well thanks to a schools pack produced by teachers and NHS professionals.

Winter is the time of year when NHS services traditionally come under the greatest pressure, with many people attending A&E unnecessarily when their conditions could be better managed elsewhere.

This new campaign aims to introduce young people to the idea of self-care and give them a better awareness of what services are available to treat certain conditions, creating positive lifelong habits. The young people will also be encouraged to share the campaign messages with family and friends, in turn raising awareness of NHS services and helping to ease the burden on already stretched resources.

The pack, which is available through an online portal, contains easy-to-follow lesson plans, activity sheets and resources tailored to students from Reception through to Year 6.

They have all been written by a trained and experienced teacher, and designed to cover the full range of learning styles.

Amanda Bassett, Head Teacher at Whirley Primary School in Cheshire, said: “The Stay Well schools pack is a great resource to promote health and fitness within the curriculum. The pack is well pitched for each year group and interactive too – a fantastic idea!”

“We believe the Stay Well schools pack will have a big impact in the health education arena, and will lead to healthier children, healthier families and, ultimately, a healthier Shropshire.”

Dr Jo Leahy, Chair of NHS Telford and Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Group said: “I have no doubts that this pack will be a useful teaching tool to help children and their families make more informed choices about which services to use during the winter months.”

An online survey, distributed through Local Authority leads, will be used to gather feedback, find out how the pack is used and the effect its messages have had.

For more information on the schools pack and how it could be used in your area please contact Veena Darbhanga via marketing.mlcsu@nhs.net.

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